Waterproof carrying case assembly

ABSTRACT

A waterproof carrying case for an electronic device, such as for instance a tablet PC has a moisture-impermeable bag with an interlocking top closure and a shoulder strap. The bag has a front panel formed with a transparent portion configured to allow viewing of the screen of the tablet PC. A sturdy shock- and impact-absorbing removable insert is provided for supporting the tablet PC in a fixed position relative to the transparent portion. A user can operate the tablet PC by touching the transparent portion in the areas corresponding to standard icons used in the tablet PC.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a carrying case and more particularly to a bag specially adapted for protecting the contents of the bag against damage by moisture while allowing the user easy access to an electronic device securely held in the carrying case.

People engaged in outdoor activities usually carry a number of items, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, handheld electronic tablets, electronic reading devices and other similar items that need to be protected from moisture. Under such conditions, provision of a moisture-impermeable carrying case or container becomes essential.

Conventional carrying cases or containers are not, as a general rule, completely watertight. Moisture can seep through the line of closure, through zippers, openings under the zippers and cause deterioration of the contents of the carrying case. Even bags or carrying cases constructed from water repellent material suffer from imperfections in construction, as they do not allow creation of truly a watertight enclosure.

One of the earlier solutions to the waterproofing the carrying case is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,215 issued on Mar. 5, 2002. The bag in accordance with the '215 patent is made from a moisture-impermeable material, a piece of which is cut on a bias. The end panels and the main body of the '215 patent bag are connected by dielectric welding. A zip-lock closure member is secured by dielectric welding to the open end of the bag after the end panels have been secured. While the bag in accordance with the '215 patent works satisfactorily in most environments, it was noted that some moisture tended to seep in the area where the zip-lock closure was attached to end ears, which carry top buckles. Another shortcoming was noted in the narrow pullout tabs, which extended too close to the zip-lock closure. Persons wearing gloves or having cold fingers found it sometimes difficult to grasp the narrow tabs and open the bag. Additionally, the bag according to the '215 patent did not retaining of an electronic device in a fixed position relative to the bag interior so as to allow the user to operate the electronic device positioned in the bag from exterior of the bag.

The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of a waterproof carrying case, which prevents moisture from seeping into the bag, while allowing the user to operate the electronic device positioned in the bag from exterior of the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a moisture-impermeable carrying case assembly.

It is another object of the invention to provide a waterproof carrying case assembly particularly adapted for carrying electronic equipment with a touch screen.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a waterproof carrying case assembly configured for retaining a tablet PC, such as for instance an iPad.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved through a provision of a waterproof carrying case for an electronic device, such as for instance a tablet PC has a moisture-impermeable bag with an interlocking top closure and a shoulder strap. The bag has a front panel formed with a transparent portion configured to allow viewing of the screen of the tablet PC. A sturdy shock- and impact-absorbing removable insert is provided for supporting the tablet PC in a fixed position relative to the transparent portion. A user can operate the tablet PC by touching the transparent portion in the areas corresponding to standard icons used in the tablet PC.

The bag has a main body formed from a material capable of being welded by dielectric welding. To prevent seeping of moisture adjacent the line of attachment of the self-sealing interlocking closure member to the main body, a portion of the end sleeve is sealingly engaged with the main body and with the closure member, slightly overlapping the closure member and the main body.

To facilitate opening of the bag, a pair of mirror-image opposing ear, or tab members is secured near the center top of the bag, adjacent to the closing member. The soft-sided bag can be manufactured with one or more handles, each carrying securing buckles, if desired. A closure member is secured by dielectric welding to the open end of the bag. The closure member can be made from extruded plastic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the waterproof carrying case in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the carrying case according to the present invention, with a front flap lifted.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the carrying case in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the insert of the carrying case assembly of the present invention showing a tablet PC in phantom lines.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along lines A-A in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a back view of the insert of the carrying case assembly of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings in more detail, reference will now be made to the drawings, presented for illustrative purposes only, wherein numeral 10 designates the carrying case assembly of the present invention. The assembly 10 comprises a waterproof bag 12 and an insert 14. The main body of the bag 12 is made from a soft, flexible, moisture-impermeable material, for example, double-coated embossed polyurethane, with a base layer of #420 denier nylon. Of course, other materials can be used to manufacture bags of the present invention, as long as the materials have physical and chemical characteristics suitable for welding by dielectric welding. While not absolutely necessary for the construction of the carrier of the present invention, the material may be cut on a bias of approximately 45 degrees. As a result, certain stretching and “giving” of the material is achieved, which facilitates wrinkle-free attachment of the end panels to the main body.

The bag 12 comprises a front panel 16, a back panel 18 and a front flap 20. The front panel 16 has a bottom edge 22 and the back panel 18 has a bottom edge 24. The bottom edge 22 and the bottom edge 24 are secured together by a bottom hem 26, which is folded to cover the bottom edges 22, 24 and to extend, to a limited distance along the front panel 16 and the back panel 18. The bottom hem 26 can be secured to the front panel 16 and the back panel 18 using dielectric welding. As a result, the bottom hem 26 seals the bottom of the bag 12.

The front panel 16 also comprises a first front side 30 and a second front side 32. The back panel 18 has is a first back side 34, which is a mirror image of the first front side 30 and a second back side 36, which is a mirror image of the second front side 32. The front and backsides can be sealed together or formed from a single sheet of impermeable material, which is folded to define the front panel and the back panel.

A vertical seam 19 can be made in the back panel 18 to connect elongate edges of the vertical side of the sheet, from which the bag 12 is patterned. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the seam 19 extends under the hem 26 so as to maintain moisture-impermeable interior of the bag 12. The seam 19 can be formed using dielectric welding or similar mechanical means for sealing the edges together.

The front panel 16 comprises a transparent portion 28 formed from a moisture-impermeable material and fused to the surrounding front panel portions by dielectric welding or other suitable means. Of course, the entire front panel 16 may be made transparent if desired. In one aspect of the invention, the configuration of the transparent portion 28 is selected to correspond to the size and shape of a screen 38 of a tablet PC or a GPS device 40 schematically shown in the drawings. The main body of the bag 12 may be patterned to form a relatively flat narrow enclosure suitable to securely hold the tablet PC or a GPS device 40 in a fixed position relative to the transparent portion 28 of the front panel 16.

An interlocking extruded closure member 50 extends along and near a top edge 52 of the bag 12. The closure member comprises a pair of mating portions 51, 53 secured along the top edges of the front panel 16 and the back panel 18, respectively. The closure member portions 51, 53 are secured to interior surfaces of the panels 16 and 18. The closure member portions 51, 53 are each provided with downwardly extending band, which is partially overlapped by the top portions of the front panel and the back panel. A seam 54 seals the attachment of the band of the closure portion 51 to the front panel 16, and a seam 56 seals attachment of the band of the closure portion 53 to the back panel 18. The seams 54 and 56 can be made by dielectric welding or similar mechanical means.

Each of the mating portions 51, 53 carries inwardly extending ribs (not shown). The ribs of the mating portions 51, 53 are adapted to engage and close the top of the bag 12, sealing the top edge 52. In one aspect of the invention, the ribs of the mating portions 51, 53 are located a distance above the seams 54, 56.

To facilitate opening of the closure member 50, the main body 12 is provided with a pair of large opening members 60, 62. The structure of the opening members 60, 62 is identical and the following description applies equally to each of the opening members. At attachment portion 64 is fixedly engaged to the front and back panels 16 and 18 above the seams 54 and 56, in a particular location, where the bag 12 is strong due to a combined thickness of the closure member 30 and the panels 16 and 18. The attachment member may be secured to the panels 16, 18 by dielectric welding or other suitable method of attachment.

Extending upwardly from the attachment member 64 and unitary formed therewith, is a large loop member 65, which can be secured by a rivet 66 to the loop member 65. The loop member 65 is formed by a length of soft flexible material folded in half to form a loop. The loop member 65 may be made from a scrap of the same material used for the panels 16 18 or from a different flexible foldable material. The loop members 65 are sized to extend upwardly from the top edge of the closure member 50, as can be seen in FIG. 1, thereby facilitating grasping of the loop members by the user's hands.

Such structure of the carrying case is different from conventional designs, where a means of opening a zipper closure (often a narrow strip of the closure extension) forms a part of the closure per se. By moving the opening members to the main body of the bag 12, which has an increased thickness, the design of the carrying case of the present invention allows to prevent tearing of the opening members 60, 62 and of the panels 16, 18 when the user opens the bag 12.

To prevent tearing of the closure member 50 during repeated opening of the bag 12 and to further moisture proof the carrying case 10, a pair of end sleeves 68 is provided for attachment to the bag main body 12 and the closure member 50. Each sleeve 68 comprises a folded piece of material stitched adjacent one end, as at 70 to accommodate a side buckle 72 and its securing member 74. As can be seen in the drawings, a portion of the securing member 74 extends inside the sleeve 68, where it is secured by stitching applied to the sleeve 68 and the securing member 74.

The opposite end 76 of the sleeve 68 extends over a portion of the panels 16 and 18 and the portion 51 of the closure member 50. The end 76 overlapping the back panel 18 is obscured in FIG. 3 by the flap panel 20. However, it will be understood that the end 76 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a mirror image position in the back panel 18. The line of attachment of the closure member 50 to the panels 16 and 18 is enclosed by the sleeve 68.

During manufacture, the end sleeve 68 carrying the buckle 72 and the securing member 74, is positioned with its open end 76 extending over a corner 78 of the panels 16, 18 and the part 55 of the closure member portions 51 and 53. The end sleeve 50 is then sealed about the corner 78 and the part 55, such as by dielectric welding, thereby preventing any seepage of moisture into the interior of the bag 12. The end sleeve 68 is sealed to both sides of the bag 12, thereby closing the entire line of attachment of the closure member 50 to the front panel 16 and the back panel 18. It will be understood that mirror-image end sleeves 68 are secured on the opposite ends of the bag 12.

The elongated front flap 20 extends from the back panel 18 over the closure member 50 and over a large part of the front panel 16. The front panel 20 has a back edge 80 secured to the back panel 18 below the closure member 50 and a front edge 82, which reaches the bottom hem 26. A continuous hem 83 extends over the front edge 82 of the flap 20 and along two opposing sides 85 and 87 of the front flap 20. The hem 83, similarly to the bottom hem 26 can be attached to the front flap 20 by dielectric welding or other mechanical means, such as stitching and the like.

A locking member, such as for instance a snap 84 is attached to the bottom hem 26. A matching locking member 86 is secured to the hem 83 in the area where it extends along the front edge 82. The hems 24, 83 form reinforced surfaces preventing the snaps 84, 86 from tearing the panels 16 and 18 during repeated opening and closing of the front flap 20.

The front flap 20 is configured to substantially cover the transparent portion 28 of the front panel 16 and thereby protect the electronic device 40 positioned in the bag 12. When the snaps 84 and 86 are engaged the front flap 20 substantially covers the part of the closure member 50, where the closure member 50 can be opened. In one aspect of the invention, the front flap 20 is formed from the same water impermeable material as the front panel 16 and the back panel 18, although contrasting color materials can be employed as well. The hems 26 and 63 can be formed from a matching material to that of the front and back panels 16 and 18 or made of contrasting color water impermeable material.

A flexible, foldable extendable strap 88 is secured to the buckles 72 at opposing ends thereof. The strap 88 is made from a narrow strip of a strong, tear-resistant fabric. The strap 88 can be used to carry the bag assembly 10 over the user's shoulder. Freely rotating connecting members 90, 92 are secured between the buckles 72 and the strap 88 for easy adjustment of position of the strap 88 by the user.

Turning now to FIGS. 4-6, the sturdy insert 14 of the carrying case assembly 10 is shown in more detail. The insert 14 comprises a shock- and impact-protecting tray or shell 100, which is provided with a shallow indentation 102 configured to retain the electronic device 40 therein. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the depth of the indentation 102 is sufficient to receive at least one-half of the thickness of the electronic device 40. In one aspect of the invention, the indentation 102 has a form-fitting design configured to closely follow the configuration of the electronic device 40. The insert 14 is sturdy enough to retain its shape within the bag 12 while supporting the tablet PC 40 in its desired position in the bag 12. The indentation is formed in a front portion 15 of the insert 14.

A core 104 of the shell 100 is formed from high-density lightweight padding material, such as high-density foam, encased in a flexible cover 106 that conforms to the configuration of the core 104. The peripheral edges of the cover 106 are protected by hemming 108.

A back portion 17 of the insert 14 is provided with a pocket 110, which can be formed from a variety of materials, such as for instance nylon mesh. The pocket 110 extends across the width of the back portion 17 although other shapes and sizes can be utilized. The pocket 110 can be used for holding spare batteries, documents, disks and a variety of other miscellaneous objects.

The insert 14 is configured to tightly fit within the enclosure defined by the bag 12 and retain the electronic device 40 in a fixed position in relation to the transparent portion 20. In this manner, the user can see the screen 38 of the electronic device 40 through the transparent window 20 and touch the transparent portion 20 in the areas corresponding to the icons 112 of the electronic device 40. The user can therefore operate the electronic device 40 from the outside of the bag 12, while the electronic device 40 remains in the bag 12 in a safe, moisture-proof enclosure. The insert 14 is detachably positioned in the bag 12. The user can easily remove the insert 14 from the bag 12 when positioning or removing the electronic device 40 from the shell 14.

In the manufacturing process of the present invention, the elements are secured together with the use of radio frequency in a process conventionally identified as RF, or dielectric welding. This method is used for joining polymers that have strong dipoles, including polyurethane. During dielectric welding method, a high intensity alternating electromagnetic field is applied to the dipoles. As the dipoles alternate with the changing field polarity, some of the field energy is converted into heat creating a weld seam between the two items. The weld times usually range from 1-6 seconds, depending on the material, thickness of the material, as well as the area being welded.

The carrying case in accordance with the present invention is flexible, watertight and allows to retain a number of moisture-sensitive objects therein. It can be easily carried to a desired location by the flexible strap, transporting the electronic devices outdoors. Of course, other shapes can be used for the manufacture of the carrying case of the present invention. The method of manufacturing the soft-sided bag, or carrying case takes advantage of the radio frequency, or dielectric welding for the production of a seamless, wrinkle-free bag.

The types of materials used in the method of the present invention for the manufacturing of the bag can vary, depending on the particular purpose of the bag. The plastic material, double-coated embossed polyurethane is readily available on the market. The zip-type closure member 50 made from extruded plastic is likewise readily available on the market in a roll form, allowing to cut the required length for manufacturing of a designated size of a bag. The buckles can be conventional slide release buckles with D-rings; they are readily available from a number of manufacturers.

Many changes and modifications can be made in the design and method of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. We, therefore, pray that our rights to the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A carrying case assembly comprising: a moisture-impermeable bag having a back panel and a front panel provided with a transparent portion; and a supporting insert removeably positioned in the bag, said insert being configured for supporting an electronic device in a pre-determined position relative to the transparent portion when positioned inside the bag.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, said back panel being fixedly attached to the front panel to define a top opening, said top opening carrying a waterproof closure member secured to and extending along a top edge of the front panel and the back panel.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, said closure member comprises an interlocking closure member.
 4. The assembly of claim 2, said bag further comprising a flap member secured to the back panel and extending over the closure member and the transparent portion of the front panel.
 5. The assembly of claim 4, said back panel and said front panel being secured along respective bottom edges by a bottom hem.
 6. The assembly of claim 5, said flap member comprises a bottom edge and opposing sides, and a hem extending over the bottom edge and the opposing sides.
 7. The assembly of claim 6, said bottom hem carrying a first locking member, said hem of the flap member carrying a second locking member configured for mating engagement with the first locking member.
 8. The assembly of claim 1, said insert comprising a shape-retaining shell having a front part and a back part, and wherein an indentation is formed in the front part.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said indentation defines a support area for supporting the electronic device, said indentation being configured to substantially follow peripheral dimensions of the electronic device.
 10. The assembly of claim 9, said indentation has a sufficient depth to accommodate at least one-half thickness of the electronic device.
 11. The assembly of claim 8, said shell comprising a high-density padding core encased in a flexible cover configured for protecting the electronic device positioned in the bag from shock and impact forces.
 12. The assembly of claim 8, said back part carrying a pocket extending over at least a portion of the back part.
 13. The assembly of claim 12, said pocket being defined at least in part by a mesh fabric.
 14. The assembly of claim 1, said insert being configured for supporting a tablet PC.
 15. The assembly of claim 2, said closure member comprising a first interlocking mating portion having a downwardly extending band and a second interlocking mating portion having a downwardly extending band, said interlocking mating portions being configured to interlock and close the top opening.
 16. The assembly of claim 15, at least a part of each of the front panel and the back panel being configured to overlap the band of respective first interlocking mating portion and the second interlocking mating portion.
 17. The assembly of claim 16, further comprising a first opening member secured to an exterior surface of the front panel opposite the band and a second opening member secured to exterior surface of the back panel opposite the band, said first and said second opening members extending outwardly and upwardly from the top opening.
 18. The assembly of claim 17, said first opening member and said second opening member being secured in misaligned position relative to each other.
 19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein said first opening member and said second opening member are each adapted for grasping by user's hands and pulling in opposing directions to facilitate opening of the interlocking closure member.
 20. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a means for sealing a line of attachment of the closure member to the bag to prevent seeping of moisture into interior of the bag.
 21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein said sealing means comprises a pair of sealing sleeves mounted about respective ends of the closure member and configured to overlap at least a portion of an adjacent corner of the bag.
 22. The assembly of claim 21, wherein each of said sealing sleeves is fused to the main body and to the bands of the closure member.
 23. The assembly of claim 22, comprising a shoulder strap secured to sealing sleeves by connecting members.
 24. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said bag is formed from a flexible moisture-impermeable material capable of being welded by dielectric welding.
 25. A carrying case assembly comprising: a moisture-impermeable bag having a front panel provided with a transparent portion, a back panel attached to the front panel and defining a top opening, and an interlocking waterproof closure member positioned in said top opening for closing the bag; and a supporting insert removeably positioned in the bag, said insert being configured for supporting a tablet PC in a pre-determined position relative to the transparent portion when positioned inside the bag.
 26. The assembly of claim 25, further comprising a means for sealing a line of attachment of the closure member to the bag to prevent seeping of moisture into interior of the bag, said sealing means comprising a pair of sealing sleeves mounted about respective ends of the closure member and configured to overlap at least a portion of an adjacent corner of the bag,
 27. The assembly of claim 26, comprising a shoulder strap secured to the sealing sleeves by connecting members.
 28. The assembly of claim 25, said closure member comprising a first interlocking mating portion having a downwardly extending band and a second interlocking mating portion having a downwardly extending band, said interlocking mating portions being configured to interlock and close the top opening.
 29. The assembly of claim 28, at least a part of each of the front panel and the back panel being configured to overlap the band of respective first interlocking mating portion and the second interlocking mating portion.
 30. The assembly of claim 29, further comprising a first opening member secured to an exterior surface of the front panel opposite the band and a second opening member secured to exterior surface of the back panel opposite the band, said first and said second opening members extending outwardly and upwardly from the top opening.
 31. The assembly of claim 30, wherein said first opening member and said second opening member are each adapted for grasping by user's hands and pulling in opposing directions to facilitate opening of the interlocking closure member.
 32. The assembly of claim 25, said bag further comprising a flap member secured to the back panel and extending over the closure member and the transparent portion of the front panel.
 33. The assembly of claim 32, said back panel and said front panel being secured along respective bottom edges by a bottom hem.
 34. The assembly of claim 33, said flap member comprises a bottom edge and opposing sides, and a hem extending over the bottom edge and the opposing sides.
 35. The assembly of claim 34, said bottom hem carrying a first locking member, said hem of the flap member carrying a second locking member configured for mating engagement with the first locking member.
 36. The assembly of claim 25, said insert comprising a shape-retaining shell having a front part and a back part, and wherein an indentation is formed in the front part, said indentation defining a support area for supporting the tablet PC, while substantially following peripheral dimensions of the tablet PC.
 37. The assembly of claim 36, said indentation has a sufficient depth to accommodate at least one-half thickness of the electronic device.
 38. The assembly of claim 36, said shell comprising a high-density padding core encased in a flexible cover configured for protecting the tablet PC positioned in the bag from shock and impact forces.
 39. The assembly of claim 36, said back part carrying a pocket extending over at least a portion of the back part, said pocket being defined at least in part by a mesh fabric. 